Find more green spaces to explore in our Guide to Parks and Playgrounds in NYC for Families.

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1. Pack a Picnic

Getting together with friends and family for all-day picnics is our favorite way to spend time in Prospect Park. Pack up your favorite alfresco foods and join the many families enjoying time together on the grass. Go early on weekends to snag a table at the Picnic House, where barbecues are available for grilling, and there are bathrooms and water fountains nearby. The Peninsula is also a perfect off-the-beaten-track spot for a picnic, and the nearby Wellhouse has bathrooms and water fountains.

2. Do Some Forest Bathing

Head to the Ravine in the center of Prospect Park. Here you'll find some of the park's most lush nature, including 150 acres of woodlands, a waterfall, babbling brooks, birds, and little creatures scurrying through this gorgeous forest.

Slide into roller skating at the LeFrak Center. Photo by Paul Martinka/courtesy of Prospect Park Alliance.

3. Take a Spin on the Rink

The LeFrak Center at Lakeside is undeniably one of the greatest additions to Prospect Park—the Cafe at LeFrak Center Lakeside serves snacks and beverages, and the view of the lake from the rooftop terrace is lovely. You can roller skate your heart out at the modern rink right next door to the splash pad, or—in colder months—enjoy the connected indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks.

4. Cool Off at the Splash Pad

Speaking of LeFrak, the Splash Pad at Lakeside boasts 21 water jets to get you soaked on steamy NYC summer days. The park’s sprawling water play area provides hours of warm-weather fun. The Splash Pad is FREE to the public for children 12 years of age and under and is open seasonally. The hours are daily from 10am-6pm between June and September.

5. See Some Public Art

The park boasts a variety of rotating public art, including sculptures, installations, and monuments. The Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks collaborate on many of these projects, showcasing works by local and international artists. A current installation of Molly Gochman's Monuments to Motherhood can be viewed just inside the Grand Army Plaza entrance.

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Kids can get up close to peacocks and other animals during a visit to the Prospect Park Zoo. Photo by Kristy Ethridge

6. Visit the Zoo

See the baboons, sea lions, and other creatures that make up the 400 animals (of more than 100 species) at the Prospect Park Zoo. The zoo is manageable enough in size for to see with toddlers in tow; be sure to hit up the Barn and Garden, where kids can feed alpacas, goats, and sheep out of the palms of their hands.

7. Grab Your Racket

Featuring hard and clay courts and a seasonal tennis bubble, the Prospect Park Tennis Center is open year-round for day and evening tennis. Book a time slot to play or learn some new skills at a youth or adult tennis lesson.

8. Saddle Up

Horseback riding is a beautiful way to experience the park with older children and has a long history. The 3 1/2-mile bridle path features scenic and varying terrain. Lessons, pony rides, and parties are also available for all ages through Brooklyn Equine at the Prospect Park Stable.

9. Go Fish

Grab a pole and head to the lake for some catch-and-release fishing. Brooklyn’s only lake is home to large-mouth bass, bluegill, and pumpkinseed sunfish, among others. Fishing is permitted at the Prospect Park Lake in designated areas only, and anyone over the age of 16 needs a fishing license from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

10. See Dogs Frolic

Bring your own pup or watch other people's explore Dog Beach, where Brooklyn's furry friends gather to romp, splash, chase ducks, and generally live their best lives.

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Pedal a boat across the lake and you might just forget you're still in the city. Photo courtesy of Prospect Park Alliance.

11. Go Boating

Rent kayaks or pedal boats (singles or doubles; little ones can sit on your lap) by the hour or day just outside the LeFrak entrance.

12. Get on Your Bike

Ride a bike around the park's 3 1/3-mile outer loop and get a great feel for the park. If you don't have your own, there are Citi Bike stands near the larger entrances to the park, or you can rent one at the park outside LeFrak. Available rentals include family-friendly specialty bikes like surreys, which can accommodate up to six adults and two small children. You can also rent traditional, tandem, and kids' bikes as well as trailers for younger children.

13. Sled on a Snow Day

When the snow starts to fall, hit one of Prospect Park's many sledding hills. The steepest and longest are located near the Picnic House.

14. Stock up at the Greenmarket

Grand Army Plaza is GrowNYC Greenmarket's flagship Brooklyn market, and the second largest market in the program, behind Union Square. Hit up this local greenmarket on Saturdays from 8am-4pm, year-round, for fresh veggies, fruit, fish, baked goods, and meats and dairy. A host of non-food vendors have also popped up around the periphery of the market with clothing, crystals, jewelry, and just about everything else on offer.

15. Bask at the Boathouse

The 1905-built Beaux-Arts style Boathouse is one of our go-to spots when the park feels too busy. Run around the bridge and path surrounding the historic landmark, check out the famed Camperdown Elm tree with its gravity-defying branches, and watch the ducks and turtles in the peaceful Lullwate

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Don't miss the one-of-a-kind ramen burger at Smorgasburg. Photo by Shinya Suzuki via Flickr.

16. Chow Down at an Outdoor Food Hall

The Brooklyn-grown foodie paradise of Smorgasburg, where more than 100 vendors convene every Sunday from June through the last weekend of October, offers loads of delicious food options, including donuts, ramen burgers, banana pudding, and street food from all over the world. Enter at Lincoln Road and head to Breeze Hill.

17. Feel the Beats

Stop by Drummers Grove (with or without your own drum) on Sunday afternoons for rhythms that captivate the whole family. You can find the weekly drum circle in the southeast corner of the park, between Parkside Avenue and Lincoln Road.

18. See a Live Show

Catch a show at the annual BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival concert series at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Throw down a blanket, purchase some food for a dinner picnic, and don’t feel guilty if you can only stay an hour. The beloved summer series includes family-friendly options every year.

19. Find a Hidden Gem

Find the 19th-century Quaker cemetery hidden along the Nethermead on the park's Central Drive. While visitors are not allowed, a peek through the gates at the cemetery is an intriguing glimpse into the park's past.

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The carousel in Prospect Park is an enchanting destination for little ones. Photo by Bridget Collins/Prospect Park Alliance

20. Ride a Carousel

We love NYC carousels, and the gorgeous antique carousel in Prospect Park never gets old! It is one of the only wheelchair-accessible carousels in the nation and is a very popular destination for birthday parties. The carousel is open seasonally from noon-5pm, Thursdays through Sundays and holidays.

21. Go Back in Time

Visit the 200-year-old Lefferts Historic House, built by a Dutch family in the 18th-century farming village of Flatbush. In recent years, this living history museum launched an initiative to re-envision its mission and programming to focus on exploring the lives of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking and the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family.

22. Hit up a Playground

Visit one of Prospect Park's seven shady, action-packed playgrounds, which in our family's humble opinion are some of the best in the city. The Zucker Natural Play Area, created by using huge fallen tree trunks, offers logs to climb, stumps to leap over, a sand box, and a water pump feature. On hot days, spend the afternoon splashing in the water play areas at the Third Street, Harmony, Vanderbilt, Imagination, and Lincoln Road playgrounds.

23. Discover Nature

Step into the lovely Audubon Center, which runs a host of amazing nature programs and houses a now-famous turtle, snake, and other live animals. The staff is always welcoming and eager to share what they know.

Early mornings and dusk are the best times of day for viewing birds in Prospect Park. Photo by Virginia Freire

24. Peep Some Birds

Prospect Park is home to more than 200 species of birds, including migrating songbirds in spring and fall, and a large diversity of waterfowl and resident birds throughout the year. Head to the center of the park (for the best viewing) with your own binoculars, or join a birding tour with the Audubon Center.

25. Play Some Sports

Bring your own teammates or sign up for an organized league at the Prospect Park Parade Ground, where athletes of all abilities play soccer, football, and baseball. There are also basketball, netball, and volleyball courts, plus a new adult fitness area. Locals are rejoicing at the start of the long-awaited project to restore all of the Parade Ground's turf fields.

Getting to Prospect Park

You can reach Prospect Park via several subway lines, including the 2/3, F/G, and B/Q. There are entrances from all sides, including at Grand Army Plaza, Ninth Street, 15th Street, Parkside Avenue, and Lincoln Road, to name a few. Bathrooms are located throughout the park, including at the Picnic House, and port-o-potties are available in warmer months (though, we cannot vouch for their cleanliness). Whether you are a native New Yorker or a visitor to our fine city, Prospect Park is a must-see destination.

A version of this article was originally published in July 2010; it has since been updated. Rosalind Muggeridge contributed additional reporting.